A build-to-rent developer group is suing Laing O’Rourke over alleged defects in work on a high-rise residential development, claiming the towers were left not fit for human habitation. The article indicates the dispute concerns multiple alleged defects, but provides limited detail on the specific issues or legal basis beyond the headline claim.
The government has launched a consultation on extending judicial review reforms to major housing and infrastructure projects, with the stated aim of reducing delays to development. The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government say the proposals could help unblock projects that are currently slowed by legal challenge processes.
The Ministry of Defence has set out three major 10-year infrastructure programmes worth £60bn to renew naval, army and RAF estates across the UK. The plan also includes wider defence estate spending over the next four years, but it does not yet explain how the work will be packaged or procured.
The Mayor of London has proposed reducing the affordable housing threshold for some developments that want to use a faster planning route. The draft plan still retains the broader objective that 50% of new homes in London should be affordable, but individual schemes may be able to secure fast-track approval under a lower requirement.
The Technology and Construction Court upheld an adjudication award requiring HG Construction to pay almost £1m to Clerkenwell Lifestyle UK after rejecting the contractor’s argument that additional extension of time had been agreed by email. The judge found the February 2023 correspondence formed part of ongoing discussions about how the contractual mechanism would operate, rather than a clear and binding revision of completion dates.
The University of Strathclyde abandoned plans for living walls on two Glasgow campus buildings after RAAC was discovered in both structures. Funding originally allocated for the sustainability project was repurposed, highlighting how RAAC can disrupt planned capital works and wider estate improvements.
A planned £2bn data centre in Loughton, Essex, is likely to be delayed because grid power will not be available in time for the developer’s intended opening date. The article also highlights wider UK data centre delays caused by electricity connection constraints and notes an Ofgem-backed initiative to standardise connection designs.
The article argues that Ardmore Group’s construction arm collapse highlights the growing impact of the post-Grenfell liability regime on contractors with historic defects exposure. It also links this to wider housing delivery concerns, noting that confidence and slogans are no substitute for a workable plan to meet housing targets.
NHBC Building Control Services, the largest registered building control approver, has been issued with an improvement notice after failing to properly record evidence in its site inspection reports. The notice highlights concerns about the adequacy of record-keeping within building control processes.
New government figures show that large construction firms paid 14% of invoices late in 2025, with a median supplier payment time of 33 days. The data places construction around the middle of the sector table for payment performance and comes as parliament considers legislation to tighten protections for small suppliers.
The government has said that firms applying to the new Single Construction Regulator will be required to use legally mandated common data standards. The measure is intended to support automated information exchange and improve regulatory processes.
BRCK Group reported a 46% fall in pre-tax profit as subdued housebuilding, pricing pressure and wider macroeconomic uncertainty weighed on performance. While turnover and cash increased, growth in fire remediation, renewables and roofing helped offset weaker brick sales and delays linked to Building Safety Regulator processes.
